The fabled white whales, very social and very vocal, draw adventuresome naturalists and photographers into the icy waters of the far north. Few divers are successful in photographing belugas in their natural habitat. But, long-time NCUPS members Virginia Bria and Art Haseltine were able to meet the challenge.

Virginia and Art were among a small group of five intrepid divers who, in July 2011, went into the Hudson Bay off Churchill, Canada, to take underwater photos of these enchanting “ghosts of the sea.” They will show their photographic results, explain special challenges of subarctic underwater photography, and share an overview of Hudson Bay, polar bears, dog sledding and an excursion onto the subarctic tundra.

Virginia, who lives in Marin County, is past president of the Northern California Underwater Photographic Society and has provided photo to several environmental organizations. She studied art and photography at Pratt Institute in New York and has followed a lifelong passion for photography and the marine environment. Her work can be seen at www.bellasirenaimages.com. Virginia travels extensively.

Art, a longtime resident of Carmel, is a marine biologist and underwater photographer who retired from the California Department of Fish and Game to concentrate on his fine-art photography, specializing in black-and-white prints of underwater marine life. His work can be seen on www.fotosea.com. Art said the beluga whales have been high on his “bucket list.”

Please join Virginia and Art at the January NCUPS meeting as they share their underwater photography and subarctic adventures.